Overview

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

"I'll love you forever / I'll like you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." Since Love You Forever was first published in 1986, millions of parents have lulled their children to sleep with these affectionate words. This picture book will widen the influence of this soothing message.

David Maloof

The one book that has the most meaning to me.
—Boston Globe

Baltimore's Child

There are certain books about a parent's unconditional love for a child that are timeless--and this is one of them.

Forbes

One of my all-time favorites... I dare anyone to read this story and not shed at least one tear.
— Dana Lenetz

Boston Globe

The one book that has the most meaning to me.

— David Maloof

National Post

There is a powerful, age-old resonance to the story, centered on that intangible, steadfast bond between mother and child.

— Shelley Fralic

Madera Tribune

No one can read this without the tears falling.

— Sharon Owen

Calgary Herald

The best of Munsch's many storybooks... it'll give you a new song to sing... and maybe a bit of perspective down the road.

— Leanne Dohy

Outlook Magazine

The starting point for a first-rate library for your grandchildren... a tender ode to the life cycle of a family.

— John Lownsbrough

Bridgewater Courier News

Sentimental story that has long been a favorite gift at baby showers.

— Karen T.Bilton

Bookpage

Best-selling classic of a parent's enduring love is available in a gift edition.

Globe and Mail

A humorous, sentimental page-turner that rarely -- let's say never -- leaves a reader with a dry eye.

— Gayle MacDonald

Louisville Courier-Journal

My children and I enjoyed it, night after night, for years... A charmer. The simple story touches the heart.
— Jeith L. Runyon

Instructor

BookPage

Robert Munsch's beloved tale is gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for her child -- forever. Nurtured by the unconditional love of his parent, a boy grows happily through the stages of childhood to become, in turn, a loving adult.

www.café libri

Should definitely be apart of your child's book collection.

café libri

Should definitely be apart of your child's book collection.

community.cafelibri.com

This book is beyond emotional. I dare any mother out there, or any child with an aging parent, to read this story and not have a lump in your throat... Should definitely be apart of your child's book collection.

OC Family

Forbes
- Dana Lenetz

One of my all-time favorites. I cry every time I read it.... [The book] is a beautiful script about parenthood, a poignant parable about life and death, a testimony to when the roles of child and parent become blurry. The story reminds you that no matter how grown up you are, you're always someone's child; that no matter how "adult" you are, you're never too old to be loved by your parents. It makes me appreciate even more how my mother still calls me and my brother (despite us being 32- and 22-years-old, respectively) by our childhood nicknames, Pussycat and Tchotchke (Yiddish for "knickknack"). Pigeonholing this as a children's book is like saying "Romeo & Juliet" is merely a cautionary tale about drug abuse. I dare anyone to read this story and not shed at least one tear by the end. It's even more poignant when you learn that Munsch wrote the book as a memorial to two still-born children he and his wife had in 1979 and 1980.

Boston Globe
- David Maloof

The one book that has the most meaning to me.

National Post
- Shelley Fralic

There is a powerful, age-old resonance to the story, centered on that intangible, steadfast bond between mother and child.

Madera Tribune
- Sharon Owen

No one can read this without the tears falling.

Calgary Herald
- Leanne Dohy

The best of Munsch's many storybooks... it'll give you a new song to sing... and maybe a bit of perspective down the road.

Outlook Magazine
- John Lownsbrough

The starting point for a first-rate library for your grandchildren... a tender ode to the life cycle of a family.

Bridgewater Courier News
- Karen T.Bilton

Sentimental story that has long been a favorite gift at baby showers.

Globe and Mail
- Gayle MacDonald

A humorous, sentimental page-turner that rarely - let's say never -- leaves a reader with a dry eye.

Louisville Courier-Journal
- Jeith L. Runyon

My children and I enjoyed it, night after night, for years... It is a charmer. The simple story touches the heart.

Related Subjects

Meet the Author

Robert Munsch is the author of more than 25 books for children including The Paper Bag Princess and Stephanie's Ponytail. He lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Sheila McGraw has illustrated six children's books, including the best-selling I Promise I'll Find You and has written children's and adult craft books Papier Mâché for Kids and Painting and Decorating Furniture.

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Any mother's true feelings revealed

I love this book. I was too old for it when it was first published, but I remember my mother reading it to my baby sister. It's a sweet story and now that I have children I understand it more. The people who claim it is creepy obviously missed the point and I pity them for their lack of insight. It is meant to be a SYMBOLIC journey of a mother's love for her child. No matter how old your child gets or what they accomplish in life, they are always your "baby". My daughter is two now and I sometimes wish I could rock her as an infant again for just a few minutes. I'll probably have the same feeling when she is twelve, twenty, or sixty-two. This book illustrates that longing in a way that is both heartfelt and whimsical.

48 out of 51 people found this review helpful.

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True-Enthusiast

Posted October 29, 2010

To the people who just don't "get" the meaning of the story

My first generation immigrant husband used to love to read this to our three little girls (even though the story was admittedly a bit unconventional). As the girls grew older and on our many trips "home" visiting Greece, my mother-in-law practiced her English by listening in at story time. I noticed that as her understanding of English improved over the years, her eyes would well up every so slightly toward the end of the book. It was very clear to all of us that the story was one of enduring and unconditional love, couched in terms that any child (or adult for that matter) could understand - being rocked in the arms of the person who loves you most. When my Mother-in-law took ill in her early 80's and her plump grandmotherly figure wasted away to an almost childlike form, my husband often literally carried her into bed at night. He would then sit by her side and read "Love You Forever" as he tucked her in. Now it was his eyes welling up as she drifted off to sleep with the contented look of a someone who feels well taken care-of and a small smile of gratitude. Now that she has passed, I am keeping the book so that we can read it to our grandchildren and hope to find the same solace that both my children and their grandmother found in this wonderful story...

26 out of 27 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted October 27, 2011

Lovely story

I am as cynical at they come, but come on people. For all of you who called this story perverted or creepy, perhaps you should look past the physical image on the page and look at the symbolism of this mother-child journey. I highly doubt the author is recommending driving across town with a ladder strapped to your car, but rather loving and supporting your child no matter how far they live from you(physically or idealistically) or how much of a sacrifice you would have to make to do so. I highly doubt that any Very Hungry Caterpillar could chew through 7 apples in one day like the pictures illustrate, but I don't see anybody up in arms about that...

17 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

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Creepy!

I was given this book as a shower gift for my first baby. Looked cute on the cover, but when I read through it I was thoroughly disturbed! In fact, I'm disturbed that SO many people seem to love this book! This book in NO way represents a healthy parent/child relationship. What parent crawls (literally) into her teenage son's room at night to rock him in his sleep? Worse yet, the mother later drives to her grown son's home with a ladder, breaks in, and rocks him again. Twisted! I am very close to my parents and have a wonderful, healthy relationship with them, but, thankfully, they allowed me to grow up into an independent adult without this type of clinging. The parent/child interactions in this book are in no way normal or admirable. The general theme of unconditional love is, of course, a wonderful one, but there are so many great children's books out there that address that topic in a more successful (and at least not truly disturbing!) manner. Pass this one by!

16 out of 88 people found this review helpful.

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tchrreader

Posted May 31, 2010

A great book-

I often give this book when I attend baby showers. This is a touching book of a mother's love. It is so sweet and a book that you can relate to no matter how old your baby is. The story of a mother who holds her son at night and chants to him. The sing song rhythm will get you to chant along and your child will enjoy chanting along too. You may need to keep tissues close when you read this book, a touching story of a mother's love. I highly recommend this story!

13 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

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Wonderful beyond Compare

This is actually one of my most favorite books since I was a little girl. My mom introduced it to me when I was only 5 years old. Love you forever tells of how a mother's love lasts till the day she dies. I love how the illustration and story really comprehend what it means to be an infant that grows and grows till he/she is ready to leave home. No matter what, they will always love their mother, and know how they took care of them ever since day one.

13 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

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Novellite

Posted February 20, 2010

Love you forever is a treasure.

I bought this book to add to my collection. Every time I read it, I cry. I know someday I will read it to my son and struggle getting through it with out tearing up. I think that makes for a great book.

12 out of 15 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted February 6, 2010

Grandchild's favorite

The message is love is enduring.... is wonderful read for armed services personnel to share with children before leaving them for several weeks. Reassuring. Will be re-read for years.

11 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted June 3, 2001

Cry like a baby

My 10 year old daughter recently read this book aloud at a Mother's Day tea at her school. I cried, mostly because of the content, but also because my baby is growing up. This book showed the pure love that a mother had for her son. It's an excellent story that I highly recommend.

10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted November 4, 2002

Disappointed Mommy

I've read so many good things about this book and when I finally got my own copy and read it with my daughter for the first time, the book is so silly! I just don't see what's so precious about a mother sneaking into her grown son's house and then rocking him on her lap while he's sleeping. Am I the only one that thinks that's a little strange? Well, I guess it's a children's book and children might not think that's so strange.

9 out of 57 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted December 23, 2011

Makes me cry...

This never fails to make me cry whenever I read it to my children because it reminds me of how my mom must have felt about me and how I feel about my children.

The author wrote this after he and his wife lost their two babies which makes this even sadder.

I plan on getting copies for each of my children so when they have children someday they can read it to their children.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted January 24, 2004

This book is creepy and disturbing

Singing to your baby is sweet. Driving across town and breaking into your adult son's house to sing to him while he sleeps is indicative of some serious emotional and/or mental problems. Seriously, who thinks that is normal behavior?

8 out of 40 people found this review helpful.

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gilden

Posted March 7, 2012

A classic!

Such a heartwarming poem! I just had to add it to my collection of classics since I read to my children so many times when they were young. It was one of their favorites and mine too!

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted December 7, 2009

A very special classic!

Great way to reinforce love that is passed down through the generations! Awesome reminder to parent AND kid how special these relationships are (even though trying at times)! When my kids were young I read it many, many times to them - sometimes I had a hard time getting through it without choking up. Now I'm purchasing it for the next generation!

7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted July 5, 2009

Creepy

This book was given to us as a shower gift. I love to read to my son, and the title made me excited to share this story with him. I read it to him once and then threw the book away. The story made me uncomfortable. The relationship portrayed between this mother and son crosses the line between a normal, loving relationship and an unhealthy, strange one. I do not recommend this book.

7 out of 51 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted October 15, 2008

save your money

This book is creepy and does not convey the love a parent or guardian should have for their child. The actions of the mother in the story fosters the child to never grow up and is scary if you think about the message. I recommend "Guess how much I love you" instead.

7 out of 46 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted March 14, 2006

Just another perspective...

Some of my friends have shown me this book, as they have given it to new mothers. While I like the part of 'I love you forever I like you for always,' this does not seem to be what this book is about. I found it very weird. As I was reading it, I found myself asking, 'What about the husband? What about the wife?' Sure. Any parent would hope that their child would take care of them in their old age, but this was distorted. Did this author also write a book about the daughter and father relationship like this? This book really gives a sick message about the mother-son relationship and makes one wonder about women who do not have a good relationship with their husbands. Also, what about the mother-dauther relationship? I am very glad that none of my friends have spent money buying this book for me. And, I seriously hope the authors used some of their earnings on therapy before writing another book.

7 out of 37 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted December 15, 1999

The best gift a mother could give,a child who gives

I found this book to be incredibly uplifting. It makes you laugh and cry with only 14 pages. It brings to light the cycle in which we will all go through in our lives. It is a wonderful book. My mother gave me a copy for Christmas 1996. It has been a pleasure to read it for these past few years at my leisure. I wish to thank Robert Munsch for this lovely piece of work.

7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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LeesaC

Posted May 3, 2012

I was surprised on people who found this book creepy, weird and

I was surprised on people who found this book creepy, weird and perverted. I own this book and read it to my youngest son all the time. I am buying a copy for my daughter-in-law who just had my first grandson. I would have to say that if you read a child's book and you're having creepy, weird or perverted thoughts maybe you should be looking at yourself, not the book.

A Mother's bond with her son is amazing. I know as women get older, have boyfriends and get married women tend to get jealous of that bond. This is a beautiful story of a mothers love. And then in the end the son realizes how much he loves his mother and cannot bare to lose her. I have a great relationship with my 3 boys, and my daughter. There is nothing creepy about it.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted February 4, 2006

A very twisted tale

Now I'm all about a mom's love for their children. I am a mother myself.... however there is a point in every mom's life that she needs to let her children fly... the point that the mom takes a ladder crawls in the BEDROOM window of her son and his wife sleeping .... all I can say is CUT THE CORD!!! It is so freaky - mom's love gone too far. And the end is really morbid - when the son holding his dead mother in his arms .... how do you explain this to a child??? This book is just AWEFUL... there are lots of other books about a mother's love that are much more appropriate !!

6 out of 32 people found this review helpful.

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